CHRIS SMITH WINS FIRST QUALIFYING COMPETITION

 

 

Chris Smith, riding Dozent, won the first qualifying competition, for the World Class Development Programme Championship that took place on Friday, 27^th November at Addington’s Premier Show.

 

The competition, which is open to riders aged 23 years or under, attracted forty-nine entries, including four World Class Development riders. The course, built by Bob Ellis produced eight clear rounds through to the jump off and, there were three double clears taking the top places, with the combination of Chris and Dozent winning in a time of 33.74 seconds. In second place was Junior European Gold Medallist, Carian Scudamore riding Larino 0087, with a time of 35.45 seconds and, in third place was George Whitaker riding Tubano in 39.01 seconds.

 

As part of its sponsorship the World Class Development Programme is funding the first place prize money of £300 at the qualifying competitions, as well as Training Vouchers, which are awarded to the first six prize-winning riders, currently eligible for British Team selection. The other three riders who received Training Vouchers were Emily Davies, Daniel Mosely and Abbie Squires.

 

Derek Ricketts, World Class Performance Show Jumping Manager commented, “I thought the standard of riding was very good over a technical and up to height track, and with the high percentage of young riders who rode so well, this shows great promise for the future of British show jumping.”

 

There are a further six qualifying competitions being held at various venues throughout the country, from where the top twenty-two horse and rider combinations, based on points from that horse and rider combination’s best four results, will come forward to jump in the World Class Development Programme Championship and, it’s supporting competition, the World Class Development Programme Pathfinder. These will be held at The British Open Show Jumping Championships in Birmingham’s LG Arena (7-10^th April 2010). 

 

The World Class Development Programme is Lottery and Exchequer funded through UK Sport, and seeks to identify and develop talented athletes who have shown the potential to reach the world stage. The Programme underpins World Class Performance and, together with the Equine Pathway, they comprise the Equestrian World Class Programme, incorporating the three Olympic sports of dressage, eventing, show jumping and the Paralympic sport of para-equestrian dressage.

The Programmes work closely with the three British Equestrian Federation Olympic Member Bodies; British Dressage, British Eventing and British Showjumping, whose own training and competition programmes work hand in hand with the programmes run within World Class.

 

Ingliston Country Club & EC                                           5^th December

South View EC                                                              16^th January

Addington Manor EC                                                     29^th January

Arena UK                                                                      27^th February

Towerlands Park                                                           13^th March

Hand EC                                                                       20^th March